Derrick Rose sat on the Chicago Bulls' bench in a suit Sunday when they lost a hard fought game to the Indiana Pacers, spending several timeouts sharing observations with his teammates and jumping to his feet often to celebrate strong play.

It marked the first time Rose joined the Bulls' bench since he tore his ACL last April.

Tom Thibodeau and Rose both downplayed Rose joining the team on the bench, with the Bulls' head coach saying it might not happen regularly.

Still, the Bulls were excited to have Rose's presence for at least one night.

"I know it's tough for him to be on the bench because I know how badly he wants to play," Joakim Noah said. "It feels good to have him out there."